Eyeglasses



vnose bridge which connects Parenteel rei. e, ieee;

reifentest JOSEPH GASPARE, 0Fl NEW YORK, .N. Y.

EYEGLASSES.

application ined april s,

To all whom t .may conccr/ z v Be it known that l, JOSEPH GAsrAnr, a subject of the King'of ltaly, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eyeglasses, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates toimproved eye glasses designed to atl'ord a strong union of the parts which carry the lenses.

An object of this invention is lto provide a pair of eye glasses that will permit. the use ot'some relatively weak material` now in vogue, such as celluloid colored in imitation of tortoise shell or the like, for the frames encircling the lenses; -and at the same time obviate the risk of wear on such frames at the points where they are joined to the the two frames together; and likewise remove the danger of the frames breaking at those points, with even more disastrous'eect.

Other objects and advantages of this invention are set forth in the following description; taken with trating a preferred embodiment of my invention; and the novel features of my improved eye glasses are defined in the lappended claims. rlhis disclosure, however, is explanatory onl. and l may resort to changes in size, s ape, and arrangement of parts, within the scope and spirit of my invention, as the same are indicatedby the general meanings of the terms in which the claims are worded.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a pair oit eye glasses according to my invention;

Figure 2, is atop view of same;

Figure 3 shows one of the :trames for supporting the lenses;

Figure 4 is a top view of what is shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a reinforcing element for the lens frames.

The same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

ln the particular description of the drawings, l indicates the lenses, that are encircled by bands or frames 2, in which these lenses are mounted. The bands 2 are united by a'bridge piece 3, and each band carries a nose guard 4 having a shank 5 with a base 6 to enable it to be secured to the outer the vdrawings illusi 1922. Serial No. 549,086.

edge of the frame by screws or rivets orV any other suitable fastening means.

At the points where the bridge 3 is united to the bands 2, `the bands are each provided with a widened portion 7, at one end of which is a rounded' edge 8. Each end of the bridge 3 is secured to a 'coupling piece 9, having two bent over lugs 10, which project beyond the end of the piece 9 and receive the end of a portion 7 having the edge 8 between them. The portions 7 eX- vtend into recesses between thel lugs 10 of the` pieces 9 asfar as the inner ends 'of the recesses indicated on Figure 2 by the numeral 11; and each of the pieces 9 is secured to vone of the bands or frames 2 by means of a pivot pin 12, passing through lugs l0 and a hole 13 in the portion 7 so that the two lenses will be united to each other; and the bands 2 and bridge 3 thus constitute a single mounting to enable the guards 4 ot' the eye lasses to grip ones nose between them.. provide each portion 7 with a shoulder 14 at .the end having the rounded edge 8 and when these ends rit between the lugs 10 of the pieces 9, the shoulders 14 can engage the edges 11. Associated with each pin 12 is a spring (not shown) which makes the connection between the bridge 3 and the bands 2 operate as a spring hinge, moving the llenses apart from each other; so that when the springs take full eli'ect, the shoulders 14 will move int-o contact with the edges 1l at the end of each piece 9 between the lugs 10, the lenses 2 being then separated a certain distance to enable the guards 4 to engage the sides of the nose and hold the glasses on ones face. bridge 3 will keep the eye glasses before the eyes, and this bridge will be curved to the extent required to` give this result. When the eye glasses are taken off they can be folded together by moving the bands 2 into position to make the lenses overlie each other; the spring hinges provided by I the pivot pins 12 then permitting the bands to revolve somewhat on these pins so as to separate the shoulders 14 from 11. When the lens frames 2 are thus superposed, they can be secured by means of a releasable catch. One of the trames will have a handle indicated in broken lines at 15, and the catch maybe associated with this handle to engage the other frame 2 and thus prevent the glasses from becoi'ning ln such position the the edges 'a case or in ones pocket.

wvith the shoulder ,14.

distended when they are stored away in The catch is not outlined on the drawings, because this catch, and in fact, all of the parts thus far described are well known to those skilled in this art. The two edges 8 may be curved concentric with the holes 13 if desired.

In practice, it has been found that a Ygood deal of wear takes place at the shoulders 14, when the bands or frames 2 are of celluloid or anything else imitating tortoise shell. In eye glasses of this type the lenses are often permitted to unfold and fly apart Suddenly. thus causing the edges 11 to strike sharply against 'the ends of the portions 8. In consequence the shoulders soon become abraded and worn and the lenses may eventually become separated so much that the guards 4 no longer tightly clamp the nose between them to support the glasses on ones face. Obviously the morethe shoulders 14 are worn away, the more action of the spring hinges at the pins 10 will move the frames 2 apart so as to separate the nose guards 4; and when this wear has reached a. certain point the glasses then become useless. I have likewise found that the imitation shell material of which the lens frames 2 are made will often break at the hole 13, so that the pins 12 canno longer connect the frames to the bridge 3; and this defect also makes the glasses of no further service. To overcome these drawbacks, I cut. away and insert in each of these slots a metal reinforcing element- 17. This element has a rounded end 18 which will coincide with the rounded edge 8; and a hole 19 to register' with the hole 13; and above the rounded end 18 is a shoulder 20 to coincide Ihen this reinforcinto the slot 16 a rivet secures the element 1T against displacement. The element 1T has a hole 21 and each portion 7 has alined holes 22 in its sides and the rivet 23 goes through these holes maintaining the reinforcing element tightly in position. The end of the reinforcing elements having the edges 18 and shoulders 2O will thus prevent wear upon the shoulders 14: and with the pivot pins 12 in both the holes 13 and holes 19 so as to engage not merely the bands 2 but also the elements 1T as well. the danger of the bridge 3 being broken away from either band is completely removed. By means of a tile the shoulders 14 of the bands 2 and the shoulders 20 of the elements 17 can be rasped away if reing` element is put in outer edge of each portion 7 a slot 16- quired in any individual instance to space the nose guards 4 farther apart when the lenses are distended. When this adjustment has been made the eye glasses can be used indefinitely becausethen there can be no further wear on the surfaces of the frames 2 exposed to the action of the edges 11; and there can likewise be no breaking of the pins 12 out from the portions 7, because the elements 1T will hold the pins securely as well as resist wear by the edges 11.

From the foregoing the value yand utility of my improvement will be clear, and it is apparent that the extra labor, expense and material `entailed by the employment of the reinforcing element are very small.

Of course the shape of the element 17 and of the bottom of the slot 16 can be changed if circumstances demand.

My invention is adapted for use with real tortoise shell, as well as with any imitation thereof, because Vgenuine tortoise shell is quite expensive and a broken frame 2 therefore costs more to replace it.

Having described my invention what I believe to be new and desired to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Eye glasses comprising a pair of lenses, frames encircling said lenses, said frames being of some relatively weak material, each of said frames having a widened portion presenting a shoulder, said portions having slots formed therein at their outer edges. a reinforcing element in each of said slots and a nose bridge having its ends connected to said frames at said widened portions and secured to said frames and said elements.

2. A lens frame for eye glasses having a widened portion, said portion having slot cut into its outer edge to receive a reinforcing element to enable a bridge piece to be connected to said portion by a pivot pin passing through the said portion and said reinforcing element.

3. Eye glasses com )rising a pair of lenses, frames encircling sait lenses, said frames being of some relatively weak material, each of said frames having a portion with a slot March, 1922.

JOSEPH GSPARI. 

